


Optional Additions

by Lumelle



Series: Instructions for Assembly (Some Parts Sold Separately) [2]
Category: Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ultimate Spider-Man (Cartoon), Young Avengers
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-05-04
Packaged: 2018-01-19 06:56:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1460107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumelle/pseuds/Lumelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even after the actual Avengers team has been put together, there are other people to consider. The Fantastic Four that aren't, the mutants at Xavier's school that nobody is supposed to know about, the teenage heroes-in-training and the alien prince who makes his prodigal return will all meet the younger Avengers.</p><p>First, though, there are more otherworldly visitors.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Talking to Himself

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically an interlude-type of thing, bridging the gap between [Some Assembly Required](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1064542) and its sequel, which I am currently working on. The main purpose is to introduce some of the side characters for the sequel and how they tie in.
> 
>  **Please note** that this fic will contain some spoilers for Young Avengers Vol 2 and Thor The Dark World. It will not contain spoilers for Winter Soldier (or Iron Man 3, for that matter). Please read accordingly.

New York at night was an almost dizzying sight. It probably would have been so even if Billy hadn't been sitting at the edge of the Iron Man landing pad, looking out to the city.

Despite the late hour there were lights everywhere, people working and living and dancing and celebrating all around. There were no sounds to accompany the sight, even the distant murmur of traffic indistinct this far up, but the strains of music and laughter carrying out behind him was a nice background in any case. He was quite certain he could hear Tony's voice lifting up in displeasure over something, followed by general laughter. Protesting at nothing in particular, then.

He felt more than heard the arrival, the soft landing of feet on the railing beside him. The wind found his companion in mere moments, the red cape billowing at the edges of his field of vision.

"Thought you might stop by." Billy let a smile curl his lips.

"I figured that was why you weren't inside, anyway." Wiccan dropped down next to him, both their feet dangling lethal distances above the ground. Not that it mattered, with the whole flying thing and all. "That, or the party was getting boring."

"Eh, it's all right." Billy shrugged. "They actually decided that supervised drinking could happen — I mean, it is legal with our dear father here and all — so now Tommy can finally be open about his moans about how his metabolism won't let him get drunk. Kate obviously thinks it's stupid, but she's letting him have his moment anyway. It's got to be true love."

"Fair enough." Wiccan chuckled. "Tommy decided to just, you know, be there at the party even though we hadn't seen him in ages. Kate didn't really seem to mind finding him there, though."

"I suppose not." He finally turned his head, looking at himself. Slightly different hair, definitely different outfit, but otherwise, yes, it was definitely him. "I see you're back in uniform."

"Mm. Figured it was inevitable, really. The tiger can't change his stripes, or something." Wiccan stretched his arms in front of him into the emptiness, dark gray framing deep black with distant stars. Some of them twinkled as Billy watched, clearer and brighter than whatever tiny pinpricks of light managed to survive the light pollution of New York on a good night. "And you?"

"I missed the cape and made a new one. Got it turned on me when Doom attacked. Turns out our team is really good at pulling a guilt trip. Mom would be proud." He paused. "My uniform's all black, mostly because that's what I was wearing at the time. The stars are a nice touch, though. Kind of otherworldly."

"I'm pretty happy with it myself, considering I kind of came up with it in a hurry."

"That's the impression I got, yes." Billy looked out into the night-time city, then pushed himself off the edge, taking a few careful steps in the air. It was always an exhilarating feeling, letting himself be carried by his magic, as easy and natural as though he were on firm ground. "But everything ended happily, I take it?"

"As happily as it ever gets." Wiccan joined him in the air, though his head turned back towards the lighted windows of Tony's favorite living room. "As did your story, I take it."

"Yes, well, with less special side effects, I presume." He glanced at Wiccan. "Anything you'd like to share with me?"

"Uh." Wiccan ran a hand over his hair, smoothing it down where the wind had whipped it around a bit. "You know the whole reality warping thing?"

"Yes?" Billy lifted an eyebrow.

"Turns out that can be literal. Like, really literal. Not just screwing with odds or changing your clothes, but, well, altering reality. Realities."

"Right." Billy paused, mulling over that. "You or Mom?"

"Me." Wiccan glanced aside, for a moment. "Things got messy. Don't think I want to do that kind of thing again any time soon."

"But you might at some other time." He didn't bother to frame it as a question.

"The possibility is there." Wiccan looked back at him. "It's inside you, too. The potential."

"Well, duh. I'm you." More so than any of the endless alternate realities he had encountered, too. For all that they were different people now, living in different worlds, they had been one, up to a point. "Come to think of it, what exactly were those thugs?" Because no way wouldn't they have found it out if they had remained in their home world.

"Very expensive kidnappers, actually. After Kate as it happens. Needless to say, Tommy didn't take well to it." Wiccan offered him a small smile. "So, definitely not harmless, but nothing as dangerous as it could have been."

"Gotta love how screwed up our lives were that being targeted by organized crime is good news."

"To be fair, it's not always like that. And we can deal with organized crime. Multidimensional alien threats, that's another matter."

"Yeah, I think I'm quite happy with Doom. Well, not that I'm happy with him, but, you know. At least I could take him out, once I had my wits and magic with me." Billy wasn't sure when his own cape had appeared at his shoulders, mirroring Wiccan's in the wind. He supposed it could stay for now, though.

"You could do what I did, though. As you said, you are me. You could have my power."

"I know that." Billy gave his other self a faint smile, reaching out a hand towards him. Wiccan returned the gesture, and a spark passed between their hands, pure magic and electricity and raw power. "I just hope I never will."

"Don't exactly blame you for that. I had to go through a lot of crap before arriving at this point." Wiccan shook his head. "No reason for me to go through all that twice."

"Agreed." Billy turned back towards the tower, taking a few steps towards the edge of the landing pad. "I…" He drew a deep breath, gathering himself. "Give a hug from me to everyone, okay? Mom, dad, the boys, all of them. When you get… home." Home. Where he couldn't go, wouldn't go even if he could.

"Promise." Wiccan gave a faint chuckle. "I'd ask you to do the same, but frankly, I'm still not entirely convinced of your taste in families."

"Join the club. Though considering our Tony is considering interdimensional travel just to be able to punch your Stark in the face, I suppose I could have done worse." And wasn't that still the strangest thing. "I… we're safe here, I know that much. We're safe with Tony and Steve and the team. And I know that I am safe, regardless of how my magic develops."

"Good." There wasn't a hint of humor on Wiccan's face as he gave a grave nod. "I've done enough self-destructive shit to last me a lifetime or two. I'd hate to have to take on the Avengers because they were mean to me. Again."

"Not that you would anyway. We're supposed to stick to our own worlds, remember?" He managed a faint chuckle. "I already know Jane's going to freak out when she checks her energy readings tomorrow, with you popping by. Or possibly the day after; I'm pretty sure Darcy challenged her to a drinking contest."

"So let's hope I won't have to do that." They had reached the edge of the landing pad again, the solid mass cold under Billy's feet as he allowed himself to float down. "Just… take care of me, okay? And of everyone else. But me first of all."

"You do the same." Because he knew himself very well, and so he knew Wiccan, and Wiccan knew him. "Let's neither of us do anything that would make Teddy cry."

"Deal." Wiccan shook his hand, another spark flying high into the air, blinking out like the stars on his costume. "Oh, and Billy?"

"Yeah?" Someone was getting out, a dark silhouette against the lights. Teddy, tall and broad as he was, his bearing just different enough to tell him apart from Steve.

"Happy New Year." Wiccan grinned, then, and fell backwards, down into the rushing air beyond the edge, then swooped up into the sky, the red of his cape blending into the darkness and the stars before he disappeared in a puff of electric blue sparkles like a lonely firework.

Billy couldn't help but snort. He always had been something of a drama queen, not that he would have ever admitted it aloud.

"Billy?" Teddy was closer, now, his voice carrying a faint tone of concern though he was trying to conceal it. "Everything all right?"

"Hm? Yeah, sorry. Just needed some fresh air. Well, as fresh as air ever gets in New York." He flashed a grin at Teddy, turning away from the edge and towards the sounds and the light.

"Are you sure? I thought I heard something."

"Just talking to myself, that's all." It was true enough, after all. "I didn't miss the countdown, did I?"

"I think we're just in time." Teddy's arms reached around him as they came close enough, warm and strong and solid and everything he needed. "Want to go inside or stay here for another bit?"

"I think here is just fine for now." The wind was picking up again, but that was what he had a big, warm alien prince for.

Of course, Teddy would make him see stars either way.


	2. Idiots and Geniuses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reed Richards is not particularly enthusiastic to find Tony Stark in his laboratory, especially as it seems Stark -- or Starks -- know more than they should by any right. Spider-Man and his little team, on the other hand, don't mind the opportunity to meet other young heroes.

"You know," said a voice when Reed closed the door to his lab, "you really could do better in the security department."

"Evidently, if I am finding you here." Reed lifted an eyebrow, walking closer to where Tony Stark of all people was quite comfortably seated in his chair. "Taking up burglary in our old age, Stark?"

"Now that, I'm hurt by. For one thing, being a burglar would imply things like forcing doors open which, no, just too plebeian. And for another, you're clearly older than me." Stark smirked. "The hair's kind of a giveaway."

Reed snorted, knowing better than to feel self-conscious about his graying temples just because Stark was needling him about it. The idiot probably dyed his own hair. "And yet I find you in my lab when I am positive you do not have the authorization to enter it."

"See, here's where my security is better than yours. You only guard the expected entrance routes. Me, I would be notified the moment someone was in my workshop, regardless of whether they had made their way in through the door."

"I see." Reed folded his arms over his chest. "And would you care to enlighten me as to how exactly you managed to get in here?"

"Let me see… no, not particularly." Stark flashed him an infuriating grin. "But don't worry, I can promise it's not something you should worry about from the common burglar. Your lab is as safe as ever. I mean, who'd even want to rob this place?"

"People who care about actual accomplishments instead of flash and fame. Which I'm not surprised is a group that does not seem to include you."

"Please. If I need tech, I build it myself. I'm not going to poke at your inferior stuff." Stark glanced around. "What is it you're trying to accomplish here, anyway? Seems like you hardly even work here."

"Just because some of us prefer to keep our work space clean doesn't mean you get to interrogate me." Reed sighed. "So. Tell me what you're here for, or get out. I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with you right now."

"Oh, please, Reed, don't be so uptight. Sense of humor, anyone?" Stark shrugged. "Seriously, what kind of a name is Reed, anyway? Going to school must have been a nightmare for you. I can already hear the taunts. 'Reed, Reed, grows like a weed, drinks only water and won't spill his seed!'" he paused. "Okay, so perhaps I'm giving too much credit to the poetic abilities of your average schoolboy. But still, that's a stupid name."

"Did you come here to showcase how very much not like a schoolboy you are? Because if so, you've failed spectacularly."

"Nah, that's just the influence of a bunch of teenage boys in the house." Stark's gaze turned sharp all of a sudden. There. That was the man Reed almost didn't mind calling his intellectual rival. "Actually, I'm here about a certain incident during my party. I believe you know what I am talking about?"

"Ah, yes, Johnny's little mishap. My apologies for that." He'd certainly made it very clear to Johnny how unacceptable it was. "Feel free to bill us for any damages."

Stark gave a magnanimous wave of his hand. "Oh, that's nothing, all taken care of. What I'm more interested in is how it happened in the first place."

"I'm afraid I'm not any more privy to the details than you are."

"No, I suppose not. Not like the young and wild tell us old folks anything about their partying habits, eh? But what I find interesting is what Darcy did tell me. Namely, that she at no point saw any kind of a lighter on dear Johnny, certainly nothing that could possibly have set a full tray of alcoholic drinks aflame at once."

Reed stiffened. "I'm afraid I still have no idea what you're talking about, Stark."

"Oh, surely not. Honestly, I was wondering if maybe Sue could shed some light on this, but I figured you'd be easier to get hold of. She's been as good as invisible lately, you know? But you, I thought for sure you'd stretch to the occasion."

Reed straightened himself. Damn if he let this fame-seeking idiot get under his skin. "Enough with the insinuations, Stark," he ground out. "If you have something to say, say it." And preferably offer an explanation as to how he got his information.

"Oh, I'm really here just for one thing." Stark shrugged again. "I know you're fine with hiding in your laboratory, but I know that's not the life for everyone. Hell, even I get the urge to go out and do stuff every now and then. So if Johnny or, say, Ben Grimm feels like some activity, we might be open to applications from potential new members."

"I was under the impression your team was not employing ordinary citizens." Hey, if Stark couldn't be direct, he wasn't going to be, either.

"And you're taking ordinary citizens into space?" Stark's eyebrows flew high. "Oh, my. Well, in any case, pass the word, will you? They're both grown men, as I understand; I'm sure they can make up their own minds."

"I will." Though he was not so certain either of them would be at all interested in dealing with Stark. "Now, is that all?"

"Hmm… oh!" Stark snapped his fingers. "Next time good old Victor is in town, how about you take care of him? I've had enough of him, and frankly, I'd rather put a missile through his ugly face before I let him get anywhere near my boys again."

"Victor?" Reed frowned. The name was familiar, but…

"Victor von Doom." And his blood instantly froze. "I mean, from what my information tells me, you two have something of a history. You were aware he was behind that recent robotic invasion of Manhattan, right? …Don't tell my you didn't know."

"I'm not exactly privy to SHIELD information, Stark. And unlike you, I prefer not to go snooping where I'm not wanted."

"Well, he's your old friend Victor, for what it's worth. Currently based in Latveria. Really, really not welcome in my household after he kidnapped and tried to drain one of my kids. So if he shows up in New York, you'd better take care of him, because I don't think Tommy's going to care very much if it's a robot or a guy in a stupid mask he's blowing up the next time."

"And what do you suppose I could do against a robot army?" What did he suppose they could do?

"As I said, I presume you could stretch to the occasion." Stark stood up, stretching himself, before setting something on the desk next to him. "Here. A secure number for SHIELD."

"What use could I possibly have for that?"

"Oh, you know. If the guys want something to do but are too shy to show up at the tower. If you decide you'd want to form a super team of your own and need legal backing, I mean, surely you're genius enough to at least come up with a flying car or something? Not all of us can fly, after all."

"What do you know?" How did he know?

"Me? I only know what I'm told. It's others who have more of a vision as to how things could be." He turned to look to his side. "Right, Wiccan?"

"Indeed." And suddenly one of Stark's boys was there, visible where there had certainly been nobody just moments before. "Don't mind him overly much; he's just delighted to have knowledge to lord over you."

"And you're much better on that count, then, I presume?"

"Johnny can set himself on fire." Well, that was direct enough. "Other things, too, obviously, but that's kind of the most important part. I could speculate as to the rest of you, but I'd rather not get to that. One never knows how things might go differently with just the smallest changes." He paused and inclined his head. "I'd ask you to say hi to Ben from me, but that might be a bit weird, considering he's never even met me."

"Have you met him, then?"

"See, there's no way I can answer that question briefly without making myself a liar." The boy grinned, just a bit, but there was little humor in his eyes. "So if it's all the same to you, I'll just take my dear father out of your hair before either of you decides to go for more than just snide insults."

"I wouldn't —" Except the boy murmured something, waved his hand, and they were gone. Magic. How utterly unscientific.

Reed strode over to his chair, sinking down in it. His head was starting to hurt, which was a common side-effect of spending too much time near Stark. Perhaps he could just ignore the whole thing and pretend this had all been a dream.

Except for the small, simple card on his desk, with nothing but a phone number on it.

Why was it that Stark managed to be annoying even when he was supposedly trying to help?

*

"We didn't do it on purpose, I swear." Which was really the best Peter could offer right now.

"I should hope not," Fury snorted, striding along fast enough that everyone but Nova had to make an actual effort to keep up. "If I thought you meant to do that, believe me, you would be locked up by now."

"We were just doing you a favor," Nova argued. "Is there a huge destructive robot running around New York anymore? No? Yeah, you're welcome."

"You did take care of the robot, true enough. You also happened to level down most of a city block. You're damn lucky supervillain insurance is a lucrative business nowadays."

"Yes, well, the alternative was to let the robot destroy the rest of the city. Because, you know, it was destructive?" Clearly, this was the preferable option, or at least Peter would have thought so until they got swept away by grim-looking SHIELD goons.

"Actually, the alternative would have been to leave it to people who could hopefully have contained the damage. Or at least wouldn't have started their plan with the oh so ingenious step of 'let's trip the robot so it'll fall on a building.'"

"Well, it was stomping along pretty fast. We had to stop it somehow." White Tiger shook her head. "What are we doing here, anyway?"

"I thought you might benefit from some good examples." Fury paused, coming to a halt in front of a door. "Of course, this is probably going to blow up in my face, but Stark will owe me a favor, so I'll try and deal with the fall-out."

"I'm not sure that sounds good." Peter tilted his head. "If it's something that makes Stark happy, there's probably going to be explosions involved."

"If there are, someone's going to be in trouble." The door opened, and Fury stepped aside. "Go on, get inside. And play nice."

Peter still wasn't entirely convinced, but Nova was already flying inside, Danny and Luke following him after sharing a glance and a shrug. As he still wasn't sure, Ava made the decision for him by grabbing his arm and dragging him inside. Fury did not follow them, and the door shut right behind Peter. Such a good sign.

Of course, that was when he realized the room contained Avengers.

Not all the Avengers, of course, most of them probably had better things to do than hang around to talk to outcast teenagers about the difficult business of playing at being heroes. Which was why it was only appropriate that they were instead greeted by the young Avengers.

Well, greeted was relative. Wiccan and Hulkling were busy staring out of a window, with Hawkeye perched up on a support beam. Only Speed reacted right as they came in, as was probably only appropriate, rushing over to them.

"Hi there you're the little herolets Fury's got under his wing aren't you?" Speed grinned, pushing his goggles up to his forehead. Why he'd been wearing them in the first place was a good question, but then they all seemed to be in costume. At least Peter and his bunch had the excuse of having just been in a fight.

"I'm impressed," Ava said with a wry tone. "The Internet says you usually speak so fast it's impossible for us mere mortals to decipher."

"Yeah, well, I've been working on that." At least now his speech was down to an almost normal pace. Speed tilted his head with a grin. "Tommy Stark. I'd say at your service, but most people don't exactly want me to do things for them."

"I wonder why." Even through her mask Peter knew she was rolling her eyes. Even so, her tone wasn't too unfriendly. "Ava Ayala, White Tiger."

Peter wasn't quite sure whether he was ready to put that much trust in them, not that they would have any trouble tracking them down since they were obviously associated with SHIELD. As it happened, he didn't have to make the decision just then as the rest of the Avengers got closer.

"Danny!" Well, that was interesting, Peter decided. Apparently Wiccan was already acquainted with Danny.

"Billy! I cannot say I expected to see you here." And Danny actually seemed pleased to see him, too. What was this with everyone else having actual superhero friends?

"Didn't expect to be here, either." Wiccan — apparently Billy — chuckled. "I mean, we've managed to avoid the Helicarrier so far, so I didn't think we'd be brought here unless there was a world-class crisis afoot."

"The view's pretty amazing, though." Hulkling grinned, setting a hand on Wiccan's shoulder as he got close enough. "Now, should I be worried that you're so friendly with my fiancé?"

Danny laughed. "Oh, no, we are just companions in misery," he said, grinning. "Billy here is a student of Dr. Strange's, so we have met before a time or two."

"I'm trying." Wiccan grinned. "Right, gotta be polite. I'm Billy Stark, and my darling boyfriend here is Teddy Banner."

"Yeah, we actually follow the news." Nova sounded more teasing than negative, though. "I'm Sam, Sam Alexander, and these are Luke Cage and Peter Parker."

"Actually, we know." Well, it probably would be useless to get angry at Nova for not asking before giving their names out like that. Even if such casual comments rather freaked Peter out. "You're Luke Cage? You're so young!"

"I thought I was a pretty good age, actually." Luke raised his eyebrows. "Any particular reason you think I'm young and nobody else's age is worth mentioning?"

"Yes, well, we've actually babysat your kid. Well, not your kid, precisely, but Luke Cage's kid." Billy blinked, then chuckled a bit awkwardly. "Uh, right. I suppose I should mention we're originally from another world."

"Another world?" Nova asked, but was cut off by Luke's blurted, "Kid?" Danny seemed equally shocked at the idea.

"Uh, yeah. See, that Luke Cage's wife interviewed us for a newspaper, and then our father was hanging around when their baby was little, so when their usual babysitter was busy Teddy and I got roped in. You know, since we were trustworthy people in need of some extra pocket money who were also capable of fighting down any potential threat that might come knocking."

"In need of extra money?" And of course Peter couldn't stay quiet any longer. "Why'd a Stark need that?"

"Yeah, well, we weren't Starks before we came over here." Tommy waved his hand. "It's all a bit complicated. Nobody really understands it properly, and if Billy or Strange or anyone tries to tell you otherwise, they're lying."

"I'm inclined to agree." The last one, Hawkeye, had finally made her way down. "Kate Barton. Don't listen to the magic boys if you want to avoid headaches, but then you probably already know that since you have your own."

"Oh, no." Danny chuckled. "I'm nothing like Billy. I use a power I was given, he has his own."

"Oh?" And, yeah, he was almost having a headache already, but Peter just had to ask. "So, how powerful are you, exactly?"

"I'm not entirely sure there is a scale for that kind of thing," Billy replied. "And if there was, it probably wouldn't say much to you."

"Try me." Peter crossed his arms across his chest. "Say. If you were evil, what level of villain would you be? Electro? Doom? Loki?"

"Well, if it helps, Doom tried to steal my powers." Billy glanced at his boyfriend. "Teddy? Where do you think I rank on that scale?"

"Is there a particular reason you think I might have considered your potential villainy?" Teddy raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged. "Uh. Based on potential rather than history… Galactus?"

"Hm, yeah. Based on what your mom did, that sounds pretty close," Kate agreed. "All the more reason to keep you from going evil."

"Galactus?" Peter frowned. "Can't say I've heard that name."

"Pray you never hear it again." Billy shrugged. "Basically? He's really, really big, and really, really hungry. And when I say big and hungry, I mean that he eats planets."

"Wait. Wait wait wait." Nova pointed a finger at Billy. "You're comparing your power level to a monster that eats planets?"

"I'm not. Teddy did. I wouldn't eat planets, think about the amount of calories in something like that."

"So what are you doing here?" Ava asked. "I mean, not to be impolite or anything, but I figured Fury had a reason to bring us here."

"Technically, we're supposed to talk to you about responsible heroics," Kate replied. "And as to why we're here, it's because Tony somehow accidentally drunk-programmed his new bot prototype to hunt anyone that looks younger than Steve, then forgot the replication cycle on a loop while he slept it off. So, basically we had to evacuate until they can find and destroy all the misbehaving bots in the Tower."

"Seriously?" Peter couldn't help but gape behind his mask. "He created killer robots going after young people?"

"Well, not killer robots, precisely." Tommy ran a hand through his hair, leaving it even more of a mess than before. "Apparently he had included a little experiment of mine in the design."

"Basically, they're wielding extra-powerful stun guns," Kate sighed. "Enough that they'd probably put Teddy out of commission for a little while. And if that's not enough, they're programmed to cackle maniacally when they use their weapons."

Billy nodded. "We're lucky I'm the first one they came across, since electricity doesn't do much for me. After I crushed that one, though, we decided to make a strategic retreat."

"So you're not helping with the cleanup?"

"And miss the opportunity to see the Helicarrier? Hell no." Billy grinned, and there was a rather worrying shine in his eyes. "So. You guys want us to actually lecture you about responsible heroics, or see how deep into the ship we can get? You know, simply to test the security on board."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea." And yet, Ava's voice rather hinted she did find it intriguing.

"It wouldn't be, except we have it on good authority the current head of security managed to annoy Fury last week." Kate smiled, and it somehow managed to remind Peter of a shark. "For each supposedly secure location we can reach without using magic or blowing up anything, we get an extra large pizza flown up here from Fury's own favorite restaurant."

"And do we get to help?" Peter grinned. "We know the place better than you, and I've been itching to take over the PA system for some time now."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Tommy smirked. "See, this is totally a responsible use of our abilities."

"Of course it is." At least until it came to choosing exactly what to broadcast over the system, assuming they got that far. But hey, obviously it was Avengers-sanctioned, so they were totally being good heroes, here.

Sometimes, just sometimes, Peter really loved being Spider-Man.


	3. School of Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan is rather surprised at the unexpected visitors to the school. What's more surprising, though, is the way the Professor welcomes them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always adored the dynamic Logan and Kurt have in the older 616 stuff. Of course I had to include them both here.

"What do you mean, there's a strange car up front?" Logan stood up from where he had been tinkering with his motorcycle.

"Uh, I meant what I just said?" Kurt tilted his head, giving a rather strange impression as he was currently upside down. "There's a strange car that just drove up. An expensive one, too."

Logan sighed, scratching the back of his head. Great. Just when he'd managed to hope for one normal day for once. "I don't suppose there's any chance it's one of those SHIELD idiots?" They did have a bad habit of dropping by unannounced, though such visits were generally brief and thankfully infrequent. They had enough to do with looking after all the kids even without having to deal with anyone else's problems. If he'd had his way, they would have had nothing to do with the fuckers, but Charles thought cooperation was the best way to keep things running smoothly in the long term.

"It didn't have any logos on it, so I don't think so. You want to come check it out, or should I see who it is?"

"Eh, I suppose I'll come by, wouldn't want to leave your furry ass all alone. Chuck is busy with something, and everyone else's teaching." Which at least meant most of the kids were in classes, thankfully. The last thing they needed were gawkers on either side.

"Gut. I'll see you at the front door." He disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Logan alone muttering curses as he wiped his hands on a rag. Probably better at least try to look presentable if he was going to be representing the school.

Kurt had been right; the car looked pretty damn expensive. Someone was still inside, a non-remarkable man wearing a nice suit; a driver, then. However, two people had apparently climbed out, looking around. Teenagers, not older than eighteen or so, Logan calculated with the long experience of a reluctant teacher. Two almost identical young men, dressed far more casually than one would have expected from someone with a private chauffeur and a car of that price range. As they saw Logan approaching from the direction of the garage, they turned a bit wary. He sniffed the air; definitely a hint of nervousness there. Curious, not that he was going to complain.

"Afternoon." He nodded at the two, taking a closer inspection. T-shirts and jeans, yes, but expensive jeans, and their shoes had probably cost the average working man's weekly salary. Strange scents, too, a hint of metal and electricity, and something else that tugged at the hind of his brain. "Do you have business at the school?" A bit curt, perhaps, but he felt it was appropriate. Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning was not exactly a tourist attraction.

"Ah, good afternoon." The dark-haired one spoke first, his smile and voice light even though Logan could still smell the nervousness there. The other one was glowering in the background, his eyes locked on Logan as though expecting him to attack. "We were hoping to speak with Professor Xavier."

"The professor's busy right now. If you give me your names and business, I'll see what I can do." New students, maybe? Not ones he was aware of, though, even though something about their faces was vaguely familiar.

"Ah, right, of course. Excuse me." The kid's smile wavered a bit, and the other boy was just openly glaring at him now. "We're, ah, we're Thomas and William Stark?" And why did that sound almost like a question?

"Right. Relations of Tony Stark?" Which would explain the car at least, though not why they would be here. As he recalled, Charles had been invited to some of Stark's functions thanks to some old family connections, but he couldn't remember Stark ever making a visit to the school. Maybe this was some strange new form of SHIELD idiocy? Stark was involved in the whole Avengers mess, after all.

"He is our father, yes." The dark-haired one bit his lip briefly, then seemed to steel himself. "However, we're not here on his behalf. We simply want to speak with Professor X."

"As I said, he's busy. I can let him know you're here, but unless I can also tell him why, you might have to wait a while."

Apparently, the blond kid decided to speak up at last. "Oh, screw you, Logan." And what the fuck? He was damn sure he hadn't told his name yet. "We're not some SHIELD goons you can make sit around while the professor has his tea. The sooner we get to see him, the sooner we'll be out of your hair."

"Tommy." Which meant the dark-haired one sighing at his brother was William, through a process of elimination. "That's not — why do you have to do this?" He turned to Logan again, and though he could still smell the nervousness, there was a fire in the dark eyes not many managed to keep lit when facing his scowl. "Please let him know we would like to discuss Erik Lehnsherr. Or Max Eisenhardt, whichever name is more familiar to him."

Logan did not show his surprise, but it took some work. "Right. I'll make sure he hears, but that doesn't guarantee he'll see you." He waved with his hand. "Come on inside, where I can keep an eye on you." He glanced at the car, which the driver had started. "He coming along?"

"No need." William shook his head. "We'll make our own way home. We just figured it might not be the best idea to simply drop in without a warning." Wasn't that precisely what they'd done, though?

As Logan took them to the front door, Kurt was there waiting as he'd promised. However, neither of the kids seemed particularly startled or even surprised at the sight of him. Even the elf himself seemed pleasantly surprised as they simply greeted him as though it were perfectly normal to see blue and furry people answering the door with their tails swishing.

"Misters Stark and Stark," Logan grunted as a way of introduction. "Keep an eye on them while I go talk to Chuck. Who knows what they'll blow up if left unattended."

"Oi, we do have some manners." Tommy seemed indignant. "It'd be pretty damn impolite to blow up anything we don't own."

"Tell that to your old man sometime." Logan turned away. "I'm going to see the professor."

Of course, he didn't have to bother to actually get to the office; he was frustrated enough Charles picked up his thoughts before he got very far along the corridor. 'Logan? Is something the matter?'

'Weird guests, Chuck. Say they're Tony Stark's kids.'

'And is that enough to make them strange?'

'No. The part where they knew my name without being told and didn't bat an eye at Kurt? That, I would call weird.'

'Right.' There was a momentary pause. 'Did they say what they wanted?'

He drew a deep breath though it was obviously unnecessary. 'They're here to ask you about Erik Lehnsherr. Or Max Eisenhardt, whichever you prefer.' If Logan had had his way, neither name would have been breathed of again.

'They what?' Charles's shock was clear even in his mental voice. 'That… right. Very well. I will be there shortly.'

'Kurt's got them for the moment, take your time.' He, meanwhile, needed a smoke.

As he got back after his smoking break, Kurt had herded the guests into a sitting room, where they were apparently drinking coffee. Kurt was standing in the doorway, smelling a bit agitated, his tail swishing to and fro in a nervous manner. Logan paused at his side, lifting a questioning eyebrow.

"Did you know they are mutants?" Kurt asked in a murmur.

"What?" Logan gave him a sharp glance. "You sure?"

"Positive. Tommy, the white-haired one, he's far too fast to be anything else." Kurt paused. "Remember the new Avengers?"

"The young ones? Sure. So you think these kids are them?"

"Ja. It certainly seems like the logical explanation." Kurt's eyes skipped to the other boy in the room. "Which would make Tommy Speed, and him Wiccan."

Logan nodded slowly. "I remember the Prof was pretty interested in them when they first appeared on TV. Didn't we figure they used some kind of new Stark tech, though?"

"Ja, that was the theory. But I do wonder now." Kurt narrowed his eyes in thought. "Why are they here? They did not mention it to me."

"Just as well they didn't." Logan shook his head. "They want to talk with Chuck about Magneto."

"What?" Kurt's yellow eyes widened. "That's — how would they even know? I wouldn't know the name if Mutter hadn't told me!"

"Oh, there's more than that. One of them called me by name without any introductions." Logan frowned. "There's something going on with these kids, and I don't think I like it."

"You and me both, mein Freund." Kurt shifted uncomfortably. "Let's wait and see what the professor says, ja?"

They didn't have to loom in the doorway for long, thankfully. The professor appeared so soon, Logan suspected he had left his office almost immediately. He barely spared a nod at Kurt and Logan before heading into the sitting room.

As they watched from the door, Tommy was on his feet faster than eye could see; obviously Kurt hadn't been amiss in his evaluation. His brother, however, only rose halfway, his eyes locked on Charles, a strange look on his face. Telepathy at play, then.

"Oh, my dear boys," Charles breathed, a thick tone to his words Logan wasn't at all sure he liked. William moved then as well, crossing the room at a more human speed, and fell down on his knees in front of Charles. The professor, to Logan's shock, merely drew him close for a hug, stroking the dark hair as though comforting a child. Tommy stood still, but his hands were trembling, fists clenched tight.

'Logan?' And damn, even Charles's mental voice was somewhat shaken. What the fuck was going on here? 'Can I trust you and Kurt to handle my afternoon class? I'm afraid I may be some time.'

'Sure.' He paused, hand already reaching for the door handle. 'Are you going to explain this to us at all?'

'To what extent I can, I promise. Just… not yet.'

'Right.' He closed the door and took a step back, drawing a deep breath.

"Logan?" Kurt was frowning at him. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, just about everything." Logan somehow managed to suppress a growl. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I might have preferred the SHIELD idiots after all." At least with those fuckers, he knew things would return to normal as soon as they left, or at least to what passed for normal in their little world.

With this, he was not quite so sure.

*

"Professor?" Kurt knocked on the door frame, peeking in. "The classes are over for the day."

"Ah, Kurt." The professor looked up from something he had been reading. "I hope my class behaved themselves?"

"Ah, yes. They were fine." Kurt slipped into the room, feeling more than hearing Logan follow him. "Your guests left already?"

"As you can see. I did invite them to stay for dinner, but they told me they would do so at another time." His lips curled into a slight smile. "It appears they had prior engagements."

"And when exactly did they leave?" Logan glanced around the room with a frown as though expecting to find some filth in the wake of the visitors. "I didn't see anyone come out."

"I would be surprised if you had." The professor set aside the few papers in his hand. "As they had already sent their driver on his way, young William took them home through other means."

"What other means?" Logan's frown deepened.

"A magical portal, as he explained it. His brother even admitted it was faster than running home, though not necessarily by much." Charles inclined his head to the side a bit. "They certainly remind me of certain people."

And that was something Kurt would just ignore for the moment. "They are mutants, then? Did you invite them to the school?"

"Yes, they are, but I fear there is little we could teach them here. Rather, I am entertaining the possibility of asking one or both of them to come over here sometime to talk to some of the younger students. They both seem to have some rather wonderful insight into finding the limits of their powers through experimentation."

"Sounds to me like the perfect way to have kids getting themselves killed." Logan's fingers twitched in the manner Kurt knew meant he wanted a cigar. "You do realize those two are pretty obviously Avengers, right? I thought you were dead set against the kids getting involved with that kind of shit."

Charles sighed. "That is true, yes. However, it seems these young men have quite the complicated background. Considering it, it seems unlikely to me that they would even consider any other occupation. If any of our students wish to follow them down that path later in life, they certainly can do so after they leave; that is not what I wish for them to learn, though."

"Then what is it?" Kurt hopped to a seat, eyeing Charles curiously. He seemed somewhat out of sorts, though obviously he was hiding it well. "What can our kids learn from the sons of Tony Stark?"

"Curiosity. Bravery. The lines between right and wrong, and how they can sometimes seem to waver, and the courage to pursue the right path instead of the easy one." Charles paused. "Rising above what is expected of you, and proving your worth despite what others may think of you."

"That sounds like a bunch of pretty lofty ideas." Logan leaned against a wall, folding his arms to hide the twitch to his fingers. "So you believe these kids know about all that?"

"Oh, I'm positive they do. Perhaps more so than they themselves might believe." Charles glanced towards the papers he had set aside. "The story they had to tell was… fascinating, to say the least."

"Ach. You can't very well just say that and leave us in the dark, Professor." Kurt smirked. "Logan told me you promised him explanations."

"I suppose I did. It certainly is true I owe you some manner of explanation." Charles leaned back in his chair, frowning as though tired. "However, you must promise me that what I tell you will not leave this room."

"It got anything to do with why they didn't seem too fond of me?"

"That has a part in the story, yes." Charles pressed his fingertips together in front of himself, pausing to gather his thoughts. "First off, for the sake of clarity, it might be the easiest to state that they are not, in fact, related by blood to Tony Stark."

"Well, that is most unfortunate. It rather disqualifies the only things we do know about them." Kurt found his tail swishing about in an impatient manner, and tried to still it with great force of will. "Whose children are they, then?"

"And before you say anything," Logan cut in before Charles could answer, "would they happen to have anything to do with any other white-haired mutants we know of?"

"Yes and no." At their questioning gazes, Charles sighed. "They… it is a long story, I'm afraid, and not entirely a happy one. I feel I barely have a basic understanding of it, myself. To answer your question, though, they are related to Pietro, and also obviously to Erik… but not the ones we know."

"That doesn't exactly tell us shit."

"I am aware of that, and I apologize. However, as I said, it's a complicated matter." Charles shook his head. "They are, quite literally, not from this world."

"Another world," Kurt breathed. "And there, they are Pietro's children?"

"Wanda's, actually. It seems her powers there far outdo what she has in this world, or perhaps our Wanda simply never realized her full potential."

"And that's how they knew to come here, asking about fucking Magneto of all people?"

"Indeed. In the world they come from, he used to be a villain, but has since then sought to reform himself. Of course, not everyone trusts him to be sincere, including his own children. That, at least, seems to be consistent between our worlds."

"That's why they didn't mind Kurt but were so fucking afraid to see me." It wasn't a question.

"There is more to it than that, I'm afraid." And another sigh. Kurt couldn't even remember when he'd last seen the professor in such a miserable mood. "Wanda… her powers have wrought many magnificent things in their world, and few of them positive. As William appears fit to match or even surpass her in power, there were some who saw it fit to try to eliminate the threat before it ever arose." He paused, then added, "Including their Logan."

Logan merely grunted in acknowledgment. "Sounds like me," he admitted. "Though I hardly give a damn about the rest of the world. As long as the school and the students are safe, I'm not about to lift a claw against them. I've better things to do with my time than that."

"I assured them to that effect, yes." At least it coaxed a hint of a smile on Charles's face, which could only be a good thing. "Young Thomas informed me it would be wise for you to stick to that, because while he might not be able to dispose of you permanently, if you harmed his little brother he would have no compunctions with turning you into, and I quote, 'a damn ugly firework show.'"

Logan snorted. "I think I might grow to like the kid."

Kurt chuckled. "You would." He glanced to the desk and the papers Charles still seemed drawn to. "So what is it you were reading? I get the feeling it's somehow related."

"Ah, yes, this. They had prepared an account of sorts, I suppose you could say, of the significant events in their world, in case I was interested. I have to say, for all that it may never have a direct effect on me, it makes quite the effective cautionary tale." He gave them both a serious look. "I should not have to tell you that even the existence of this document should remain absolutely secret, never mind its contents."

"Eh. Anyone comes across it, just tell them you're working on a novel." Logan smirked. "Imply that it's erotica, and nobody's going to want to read a word if you waved it in front of their noses."

"I shall keep that in mind," Charles replied with a wry tone. "For now, I will hope for your continued silence."

"You know us, Chuck. I don't have as much detail as I'd like, but you tell us mum's the word, and we'll keep to that." Logan shrugged. "What the Hell do we tell the kids who've noticed them coming by, though? Because you know someone's bound to have seen them who'll recognize their faces."

"Well, it's probably not going to exactly shock anyone if we let the kids know they're self-taught mutants," Kurt mused. "With what they're able to do, it's pretty obvious, and will be more so if you do plan to have them here at times. We'll just say they were invited here, but after speaking with them at length it seems they don't need further instruction."

"Works for me." Logan glanced at Charles. "Chuck?"

"That does sound like a reasonable explanation." Charles sighed. "Is there anything else?"

"Not for now." Logan stretched a bit, rolling both his shoulders in a relaxed arch. "Tell them to give a fucking warning before they drop by again, okay?"

"I shall pass that on." Charles smiled faintly, then looked at Kurt. "Is that all?"

"I think we're both good for now." Logan's hand landed on his shoulder, heavy and rough but still as close to gentle as Logan was capable of. "Come on, elf. Someone's got to make sure the kids don't set anything on fire, and Chuck's got reading to do."

"There are other teachers around here, you realize." And yet, he let himself be led out of the room without any actual protest. It did seem the professor wanted to get back to his alternate world report, and checking in on the students was never a bad idea.

And if they were actually behaving themselves for once, leaving their poor teachers with some much-needed free time, well, all the better.


	4. All Together Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhodey eases some of Tony's fears, and Pepper stops Tony from being a total asshole to Jane. Later, Billy has another serious talk with himself, and gains some hope for the future. Which is just as well, with his birthday coming up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, to clarify once more, the events of Thor 2 take place in this 'verse exactly as in the movie, with the very firm and strict timeline adjustment of "somewhere between March and September, 2013". Cap 2 and IM3 still do not apply to this 'verse.
> 
> I'm hoping to start posting the actual sequel next week, so look forward to that.

"Sir?" JARVIS's voice cut through the still air left behind in the sudden absence of Tony's music. He really would have to find out who kept reinstalling the overrides that let JARVIS do that and make them stop. (Tommy, and yes he was proud, the kid had learned it in an afternoon because he apparently did everything fast, but that didn't mean he had to like it.) There was a reason he removed the overrides every time he found them, thanks. The reason being, he didn't like being interrupted when he was working.

"Yes?" He sighed, taking off his soldering mask. "What is it?" Honestly, the beloved people in his life could just take the damn moment to walk down to his lab themselves. They could do that easily enough; he hardly ever blocked their lab access. Mainly because he couldn't get past the very insidious "JARVIS likes me better than you" tactic that a lot of his nearest and dearest were sneakily employing against him, but he wasn't about to just go ahead and admit that.

"A visitor, Sir. I told him to come right along in."

"And why would you do that? Honestly, JARVIS, I thought you at least would have my back. I hardly ever get the chance to have a moment for myself nowadays, and when everyone's out of the Tower for once you let someone in from the outside." It was true enough at least. He wasn't quite sure if Natasha was in or not, he hardly ever was, but aside from that, he knew everyone was out for the day. Which was great, it always was, it was good to know the kids and Cap and Bruce had built themselves lives outside the Tower and Clint had other things to do than sneaking around like a creepy assassin creep, but most of all he absolutely relished the chance to work without any fear of interruptions. And now here was one.

"I do apologize, Sir, but I think you would rather meet this visitor." And why couldn't JARVIS ever sound anything but insufferably calm? He knew JARVIS could emulate other tones, Tony had made sure of that, he just chose not to. One would have thought that with so many offspring equivalents, at least one would have had some respect for him, but no. Even Dummy just kept getting in his way, the nosy thing, even though he was supposed to be the eldest.

"Fine, then." Tony sighed, finally turning off the soldering iron before it burned through something. "Let them in."

"Good to know I'm welcome." The wry tone from the door made his head snap up. "Really, I can just feel the love."

"Rhodey!" Tony twirled around, seeing his best friend walking in. "Rhodey, my beloved pumpkin seed, I didn't know it was you! I'm pretty sure I set up alarms to go off the moment you stepped into the elevator. Why didn't the alarms go off, JARVIS? I would have liked to be informed a bit earlier that my cuddlybunny was on his way."

"I wouldn't know about that, because I didn't come by the elevator." Rhodey lifted an eyebrow. "Your freaky bot arms will give me the suit back when I'm leaving, right?"

"You flew in? Did the dismantling work properly? Your armor's close enough to mine, but there's still differences, you should've let me know beforehand so I could have made sure it's configured properly."

"Everything came off and I don't think anything broke, so I think it's good enough. And I thought I'd surprise you so you didn't have a chance to run off."

"Run off? You think I'd run off after not seeing you for months? Rhodey, Rhodey, my moonshine, I'm hurt you would think that even remotely possible." He paused. "Wait, did I just basically say I could get drunk off you? Never mind, it's totally true anyway. Not that I'd try. My mouth's entirely exclusive nowadays, baby, sorry to disappoint."

"Yes, well, you've done so much unexpected shit in those months I'd started to wonder if you were the same person anymore." Rhodey's lips twitched. "So what's this I hear about you being a parent?"

"Oh, that. Yeah, I may have acquired two sons along the line, I think you met in the passing before they were actually Starks. You would have met them again if you'd accepted the invitation to my holiday party. Or the New Year's party we had after Oscorp's little failure. I sent you an invitation."

"And at the time I was stuck on the other side of the Earth as you well know." Well, of course he'd known, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to send an invitation anyway. "Some of us actually have a job to do."

"Hey, I resent that. I've got a job, too, you know. Two, in fact! Two very demanding jobs, and that's not even counting my consulting thing, or, you know, being a parent. Which can be surprisingly demanding. I thought it'd be a breeze because they're old enough to feed themselves and wipe their own behinds, but turns out you're actually supposed to interact with them. Who'd have known? Mine definitely didn't get that part right."

"Tony." And there was Rhodey's serious tone. "You don't actually mean that." So why did that sound more like a plea than a statement, if Rhodey was so sure?

"Nah, actually, they're great. Obnoxious and annoying sometimes, but then I'm reliably informed that's definitely something they've gotten from me, so I've kind of got to put up with it." Tony paused. "Before you even ask, no, they're not actually mine. Well, they weren't until I said they were. It's a responsibility, but it's one I chose to take on, which I suspect is a lot more than my daddy dearest ever did regarding me."

"And why did you?"

"What, take responsibility?" Tony shrugged. "Guess in my heart of hearts I'm just that much of a good guy. And, well, it made sense. They needed identities, I didn't mind having them around, and I thought it might get the tabloids off my case about having heirs to the grand and glorious name. Which hasn't worked, by the way, they still get worked up every time Pepper wears anything that's not entirely form-fitting. I offered to take her and Steve to the beach every other week so she can show off her perfect bikini body but for some reason she thought that wouldn't be a good solution."

"See, I could understand it if you just did it on the paper. Hell, I understand having them live here since they're on the team, the public appearances, everything. What I'm having trouble wrapping my head around are those pictures I recently saw of you in a bookstore with Steve and one of the kids."

"Oh, right, that. Yeah, Billy actually reads books, can you believe it? Paper and ink and all that stuff. He asked Steve along to help him pick some art books for Teddy for his birthday, and somehow I got dragged along."

"Teddy?"

"Oh, right. Teddy, his boyfriend, the big occasionally green guy, I'm sure you met briefly. My future son-in-law, as it seems, whenever that finally happens. We're actually putting together an art studio for him for his birthday present; figured it was only sensible, since he spends a lot of time in Steve's nowadays. Not that Steve minds him there, but it'd be better for them both to have space for their own works and equipment and stuff. Did you know drawing actually requires more than tracing paper? I was shocked, I tell you, but the blonds seem to be into it. I wonder if it's in the hair."

"And somehow you still haven't explained how you let yourself be dragged into the bookstore."

"Steve's got the worst case of puppy dog eyes and thought it'd only be fair that I try to do some bonding with Billy. Which is unfair, I totally bond with him all the time, we're constantly comparing notes on cute guys during movie nights just because it makes Steve and Teddy both turn red. Teddy actually turns red sometimes, it's hilarious, you've got to see it some time. But apparently the fact that Tommy invades my lab could be seen as favoritism, which, no, I argue with the kid more than anything when he's there, and Billy is by all the time, too, but Steve's insistent so I went along. So we ordered a lot of books with actual pages, blasphemous or not, and then we went out for ice creams, and it was all ridiculously fluffy and family-like and I'm obviously an innocent party here."

"You let them into your lab. On a regular basis. And argue with them instead of working."

"Dummy seems to like them, and you know how rare it is he's got someone to play with when I'm busy. And Tommy's not half bad in the lab himself. A bit single-minded, yeah, but I'm sure once he's designed the perfect comm link he'll be ready to branch out into other things. He totally jumped at the chance when Xavier suggested he could let them take finals through his school so they can actually graduate high school. Tommy says it was to surprise his so-not-girlfriend, but I haven't given up my hopes of getting him into MIT, yet. Will have to arrange for some special treatment, of course, no way is he going to have the patience to sit through regular class schedule any more than I did, but it's really a treat to find someone besides you who can actually keep up with me when I get tech-y. Bruce tries his best, but it's not exactly his field, so sometimes my brain gets lonely when you're traipsing all over the world and Tommy actually understands that. Hell, he might actually have it worse than me. He's a speedster, and his brain works just as fast as the rest of him, so half the time he's finished a thought before it even occurs to anyone else and —"

"Tony, you're rambling." And there was Rhodey's hand, warm and familiar on his shoulder, and yes, that was good. "Let me see. You like them, even kinda feel like they're yours, except that terrifies you because your own dad was an asshole and you don't want to be that. And then you're giving more attention to one of them because he's good at tech, which kind of puts the other in worse position, except you can't not give him that attention because then you remember your dad never thought your accomplishments were worth his time, either."

"Right." Tony sighed, then drew a deep breath. "Worse, Billy's field is magic. Actual magic, flying and explosions and illusions, not just sleight of hand and card tricks. I don't do magic, never have, it goes against everything I stand for. And I've tried to take a scientific look at it, thought of analyzing it or something, but that just makes matters worse."

"Worse how?" Rhodey frowned. "Tony, what's going on?"

"Tommy." And, yeah, the whole thing made him feel sick. "I don't know the details, but he was… experimented on. Because of his powers. And Billy and Teddy were imprisoned and other sick shit by someone very much like me because of theirs. They haven't told me much, either, but I know enough that sometimes I have to wonder how they can stand to look at me. So I try to steer clear from that, but that leaves me pretty much nothing to go on. And I can't cut back on the time I spend with Tommy because, hell, he reminds me so much of myself at his age it gives me fucking flashbacks sometimes, and if my arguing with him about the best wireless receptors can keep him from spending his teen years in a drunken stupor feeling like shit then argue I will. Except then I feel guilty about neglecting Billy, because I know that's what I'm doing. And then I end up doing things like going through bookstores with so much paper it makes my throat itch like I'm the one with childhood asthma and not Steve, and I know that doesn't really change anything because he's not stupid nor is he blind and he knows I'd rather be anywhere but there while he's trying to find a gift for the person he loves more than anything."

"Rambling again, Tony. Deep breaths." Rhodey sighed. "You're totally overthinking this. Which I suppose is better than not thinking about it, but still. Just the fact that you're worried about this shows you're at least trying." Which was more than Howard had ever done, not that either of them was going to say that aloud.

"Yeah, but I'd much rather succeed. You know, in the spirit of not being a total asshole and all."

"So work it out. You're supposed to be a genius, remember. If you don't have common interests, come up with something. It can't be that hard."

"Right. Yeah, I can do that." Tony drew a deep breath, trying to focus. "Uh. Would it be un-PC if I asked him to help me design the kids new costumes with slightly better armoring?"

"That depends." Rhodey lifted an eyebrow again. "Is that something he'd actually be interested in, or did you just think of that because he's into guys so obviously he also has to be interested in fashion?"

"He designed their current costumes. As in, he made them, by hand. Before Fury found out about them they were stuck in here and his magic wasn't working, so he asked for fabrics and a sewing machine to entertain himself. Apparently he made his first costume, too, when they first got into superheroics."

"In that case, I think you're in the clear." Rhodey's lips twitched. "Though now I'm very curious about this first foray into heroics, since I've never heard of such a thing before their very public debut in New York, and I'm pretty sure Fury found out by then."

Oh, right. He'd only given Rhodey a very summarized version back then, mostly "from another world, supposed to be back soon, no I haven't been drinking for once" and not much else. "Uh. That's a long story?"

"I'm sure. Good thing I've got the whole day for once." Rhodey slapped his shoulder with a grin. "And while we're at it, why don't you also fill me in on how exactly you got to the point where you got both Pepper and Captain America in your bed?"

And finally, Tony felt he could return that grin. "Oh, Rhodey, sugar sprinkle, I'm going to give you all the details you can handle and then some."

*

"No, no, no." Tony barely spared a glance to Pepper as she walked in, too busy arguing with someone at the other end of the phone line. "No, you're not allowed to come back. No, your room isn't still here. I sold it. Yes, the whole room, floor and ceiling and walls. I sold it and then I set fire to it so you don't have anywhere to come back to, sorry."

"Tony?" Pepper lifted her eyebrows. "What are you up to now?"

Tony motioned for her to wait, listening to someone at the other end before giving an exaggerated sigh. "No, it really can't be helped, sorry. I know, I know, it's a tragedy really, but honestly, you've got a perfectly suitable place over there, don't you? You were certainly eager enough to leave before, I really don't see why you'd be coming back."

"Tony." She let a hint of danger slip into her voice. "Is that Jane at the other end?"

Tony turned away just enough that he was not facing her anymore, which was as good as an answer. "Bitter? Of course I'm not bitter. I just want what's best for you, and apparently, roaming the world and saving the day seems to be it, no need to mix us up into that kind of stuff. Clearly we're not —"

Pepper very neatly snatched the phone out of Tony's hand, bringing it to her own ear. "Jane?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "Is that you?"

"Pepper?" Jane gave a somewhat relieved sigh. "Finally, someone with a lick of sense."

"Someone has to do it in this madhouse." She waved Tony off, and he left the room in a huff, still muttering under his breath. "Please, don't pay any attention to Tony."

"Don't worry, I rarely do." And this was why Pepper rather liked Jane. There needed to be more people around who didn't pay attention to Tony's idiocy, and Jane had definitely gotten past any initial respect very fast. She was a smart woman, after all. "Any particular reason he's being grouchy with me?"

"Jealousy, I think." Pepper rolled her eyes. "You know he was quite happy to help you get over to London. It was only when you actually dealt with the latest world-destroying threat and had a visit from Thor at the same time that he really got a problem with it. For a grown man he can be ridiculously starved for attention sometimes."

"I think I know the type." Jane's wry tone made it clear she certainly did. "So it won't be a problem if we head back?"

"Of course not. I'm pretty sure Tony himself is currently ordering a cleaner for your room. And is Darcy coming, too? Anyone else?"

"Darcy's here, too. I think Erik's going to stay, though I'm not sure how sensible it is to leave him without supervision." She paused. "Oh, and I'm bringing Thor along, too. Should I perhaps have mentioned that to Tony?"

"Hmm… no, not really." Pepper gave bit of a smirk toward the doorway Tony had disappeared through. "I think the surprise will serve him rather well after being such a dick towards you, even if he didn't really mean it."

"See, this is why Darcy says she wants to become you when she grows up. You are devious and cruel and a very formidable woman."

"And you? You don't like my devious side?"

"Oh, I like it well enough, I just think I'm as grown up as I'm ever going to get. Though I do approve of half of your taste in men." Someone called for Jane in the background, and she sighed. "So, I'll get our itinerary to you as soon as possible, if you'd be so kind as to have someone pick us up from the airport."

"I'll have Happy waiting and your rooms ready." Pepper smiled. "Just be prepared for Tony stealing your beau away when you first get here. Apparently slowly getting in touch with his social side means that everyone he approves of gets the Rhodey treatment."

"I'll be sure to warn Thor. And maybe pass along a word or two about dark-haired magicians flitting around. You know, just so he's prepared."

"That… might be for the best." And what was her life that she actually had to think about how a Norse God would react to the sight of one of her stepsons from another world?

But then, when she had first decided to stick by Tony, she had more or less signed herself up to be surprised over and over again.

She wouldn't have had it any other way, anymore.

*

"So." Billy looked at himself across the table. He was pretty sure they should have attracted more attention, two almost perfectly identical faces who also managed to look like a certain well-known superhero, but whatever thing Wiccan had done to give them some privacy worked. They weren't invisible, they managed to buy their ice creams easily enough, but people just didn't seem to make the connection between either of them and Billy Stark. It was kind of a relief, really; he would definitely have to try that the next time he and Teddy went out and didn't feel like dodging paparazzi. "Care to tell me what date it is?"

Wiccan blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"What date is it? And before you try to get smart, I mean the date for you. In your branch of the universe."

"I'm not sure I follow." Yeah, and that shifty glance was not at all obvious. Was he really that easy to read when he was lying?

"Please." Billy snorted. "It's past Labor Day, and you're wearing a white hoodie. And yes, I know the tradition's dying out, and I do so hate to be stereotypical, but I know no version of me would ever wear something that might make Tim Gunn tut at me."

"You spend too much time around geniuses, you're not supposed to think too much." Wiccan sighed and rolled his eyes. "Okay. Let's suppose my visits here aren't at the same frequency for me as they are for you."

"So, what? Does time travel differently in our worlds?" He wasn't sure how he felt about that. It couldn't be too far off, Wiccan didn't look too different whenever they had their meetings, once a month or so, but if it was only slightly off, maybe he just hadn't realized.

"Not exactly." Wiccan's lips twitched. "See, the first time I came over here? The New Year's? That was just before it changed into 2013, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Billy frowned. "And?"

"For me, it was in the wee hours of 2014."

"Right." Billy paused. "Why?"

"Well, for one thing, I wasn't actually aware of you, well, existing until shortly before that. You know, power upgrade and all. And when I did become aware, I figured you might rather hear from me sooner than over a year away."

"So, wait, what? You travel in time?"

"It's… not exactly that." Wiccan made a face. "It's more like, whenever I come here, I sort of pick when I do it. But I can't actually go backwards; it's got to be in order. So, it's been a month for you since we last met, but a couple of weeks for me. Next month's meeting could technically be tomorrow for me, or in two month's time, but I couldn't have done it last week."

"Right." Billy frowned. "And why're you doing them out of sync?"

"Way I figure it, if I come here twice as often as you think I do, we'll be caught up by the end of next year. Well, you know, two years for you, one year for me, and we can both welcome 2015 at the same time."

"That sounds like it'd give me headaches." Billy dug out a thoughtful spoonful of his ice cream. "And I suppose this is the point where you tell me you're not going to reveal me anything about my future."

"More or less, sorry. I've decided not to mess with realities directly until I know what I'm doing, so I'd better not do it indirectly, either."

"Can you at least tell me…" Billy hesitated, glancing down at his hand. The ring was there, exactly where it was supposed to be, the green stone pulsing with a calming, faint light, mirroring Teddy's heartbeat even as he wasn't there.

Wiccan seemed to get the hint, though. "I can tell you you're still wearing that ring," he said, reassuring. "And yes, it's still glowing."

"Thanks." That was just about everything he needed to know. "So I shouldn't tell you happy early birthday?"

"Not really, but I suppose I can tell you that." Wiccan grinned. "Sorry I don't have a present."

"That's fine. I'd invite you to the party, but I'm pretty sure that'd make plenty of people freak out."

"Yeah, probably so." Wiccan paused. "Actually, I might not come by next month. You're probably going to be pretty busy anyway, and you'd be tempted to ask me questions I'd be tempted to answer."

"What, so now you're getting all mysterious and cryptic on me? Damn, I should have known. Tony always keeps telling me magic types aren't to be trusted." Well, not exactly, and he knew Tony didn't count him as one of such untrustworthy types, but it was a common enough complaint.

"Sorry, sorry. Just trying to learn responsibility with these worlds-spanning powers of mine." Wiccan tilted his head forward. The way the hood was pulled over his head cast a part of his face in shadow, but Billy could have sworn his eyes were glowing. "I'll be by in November, though. And just for ditching you, I'll try and track down a gift for you."

"You really, really don't have to." Billy raised his eyebrows. "You do realize I can buy anything I could ever want, right?" Which, yeah, still hadn't entirely sunk in yet, and he'd been living as a Stark for the better part of a year, now.

"So I'll just have to find something you didn't even know you wanted."

"Honestly, it's fine." Billy smiled. "Whatever is going to happen in the meantime, as long as you promise the ring's still there and glowing in the distant year of 2014, that's all I could wish for." To know that Teddy was alive and with him was all he could ever need.

"Better steer clear of wishes. You know how those turn out for us." Wiccan's expression twitched momentarily into something Billy wasn't sure he recognized, but then his smile was back. "So, I'm just dying to know. Between Steve, Tommy, Teddy, and Thor, how much groceries does the team go through in a week?"

It was a deflection, and not a very good one, but Billy let it slide. If this was something his other self didn't want to talk about, not even with himself, it wasn't something he should be pushing.

He, if anyone, knew just how badly he sometimes needed not to talk.


End file.
